What Is the Setting of the Ibalon Story?

The setting of the Ibalon (or Ibalong) story is an ancient land in the Philippines. Historians and anthropologists most commonly locate it in the Magallanes municipality in the province of Sorsogon on the island of Luzon.

The Ibalon story is a folk epic of the people of Bikol Peninsula in the Philippines. It tells the story of three legendary ancient heroes seizing the virginal land of Ibalong and fighting numerous enemies, including fictional beasts and monsters. The heroes' names were Baltog (who killed the man-eating wild boar Tandayag), Handiong (who defeated the evil serpent Oriol) and Bantong (who won over the fearsome monster Rabut). The Ibalong Festival held every August in Legazpi City in Philippines celebrates the epic story.